The Republicans were taking on Yellens opposition to legislation nicknamed Audit the Fed, that would set up new reporting responsibilities on internal monetary policy discussions. Yellen and other Fed officials have said the measures would undermine the central banks independence.

]]>Wed, 25 Feb 2015 17:16:00 ESTTheyre not billionaire industrialists poised to bankroll millions in the 2016 campaign, but K Street still matters to the crop of aspiring presidential candidates.]]>Tue, 24 Feb 2015 12:25:00 ESTRob Chamberlin never took his ex-boss, Steve McBee, for the type who would sell his K Street outfit to a big, multinational advertising conglomerate.]]>Tue, 10 Feb 2015 12:34:00 ESTIf youre looking to pick a fight with the National Association of Realtors, the group just may have a coded message into its recent lobbying disclosures: Watch out.]]>Tue, 27 Jan 2015 13:03:00 ESTIt took hardly any time at all for just-retired Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga.]]>Tue, 13 Jan 2015 12:27:00 ESTHarbinger Strategies, the just-opened firm of ex-aides to Eric Cantor, has added a fourth lobbyist: Manny Rossman, a former Senate leadership staffer who was previously with the Breaux Lott Leadership Group.]]>Wed, 07 Jan 2015 10:01:00 ESTUpdated Dec. 26, 11:40 a.m. | Steve McBee never was your typical K Street character.]]>Tue, 23 Dec 2014 12:01:00 ESTHeritage Action for America is losing three staffers, including its top House lobbyist, to a trio of newbies in the 114th Congress.]]>Fri, 19 Dec 2014 15:57:00 ESTThe all-GOP lobbying shop Clark Geduldig Cranford & Nielsen is picking up a new energy policy hire with ties to House and Senate Republicans.]]>Tue, 09 Dec 2014 05:01:00 ESTIf youve been stuck in the Capitol cramming on the cromnibus and missing the whole holiday mingling circuit, then its time to grab a drink and get your party on.]]>Fri, 05 Dec 2014 11:33:00 ESTThe holiday party scene between K Street and Capitol Hill is a lot more complicated than simply deciding which event sounds like the most fun and what to wear.]]>Mon, 01 Dec 2014 05:01:00 ESTThe Democrats may have taken a pummeling in this months elections, but K Street still sees value in hiring them.]]>Wed, 19 Nov 2014 05:01:00 ESTFormer Rep. Bill Frenzel, a Minnesota Republican who spent two decades in the House and the rest of his professional life shaping trade and budgetary policy from off the Hill, died Monday at his home in McLean, Va. He was 86.]]>Mon, 17 Nov 2014 16:15:00 ESTWith the midterm elections one week away, K Street lobbyists are taking their powers of persuasion to the campaign trail. Their target audience: voters.]]>Wed, 29 Oct 2014 05:01:00 ESTWhen most people think of their dream vacation, they have reveries about eating their way through Paris or chilling on a pristine beach in the Caribbean. But if youre a Hill staffer and its election season, then its likely youre on vacation holed up in a battleground district or state, lucky to just grab one meal sitting down each day.]]>Wed, 22 Oct 2014 14:33:00 ESTKimberley Fritts may not be the Podesta Groups typical public persona. That role most often belongs to Democratic donor and firm founder Tony Podesta.]]>Tue, 14 Oct 2014 12:06:00 ESTWhen former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor announced his new multimillion-dollar job with the Wall Street investment bank Moelis & Co. after he left Congress in August, it made front-page news.]]>Wed, 08 Oct 2014 10:51:00 ESTThomas H. Boggs Jr. had the clout of an oracle, the air of a senator and a joie de vivre that gleefully declared his familys Louisiana roots.]]>Tue, 16 Sep 2014 13:24:00 ESTIn the jet-set world of the countrys biggest political donors, K Street can seem puny.]]>Tue, 29 Jul 2014 14:40:00 ESTJeb Hensarling, chairman of the House Financial Services panel, was in a rush to recess a lengthy markup so he and the other lawmakers could make it across the street to the Capitol for evening floor votes.]]>Wed, 16 Jul 2014 14:31:00 ESTReality has set in for aides to outgoing House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, and it looks something like this: coffee and cocktails with headhunters, lobbyists, chiefs of staff, old friends and business contacts. In short, anyone who can help in the job search.]]>Thu, 26 Jun 2014 05:01:00 ESTThe night of Eric Cantors defeat, his longtime aide and chief of staff, Steven Stombres, held a conference call with his team  about three dozen people whose professional worlds had just collapsed. These staff members had presumed they were working for a future speaker of the House, only to learn that they would be out of a job, many within weeks.]]>Mon, 16 Jun 2014 11:47:00 ESTWalk through the Capitol South Metro station and youll pass SoftBank ads that festoon the walls  but you wont see a campaign for the 3 million people hoping Congress will pass an unemployment insurance extension.]]>Fri, 13 Jun 2014 12:31:00 ESTAs House Republicans adjust to the coming transition among their leadership ranks, one longtime aide for outgoing Majority Leader Eric Cantor says he plans to leave Capitol Hill.]]>Thu, 12 Jun 2014 16:46:00 ESTHouse Majority Leader Eric Cantors primary loss Tuesday shocked K Street and has left the business community without a crucial, well-placed ally in the ongoing battle between conservative and pro-business factions within the GOP.]]>Wed, 11 Jun 2014 13:24:00 ESTBig business summer agenda on Capitol Hill reads like one big do-over.]]>Tue, 27 May 2014 13:53:00 ESTIn the past week, reporters  like me  have pored over the most recent lobbying disclosures. Were looking for stories about the revenue patterns at K Streets notable shops.]]>Mon, 28 Apr 2014 13:27:00 ESTFive lobbyists at Williams & Jensen are leaving to set up their own bipartisan shop, Alignment Government Strategies.]]>Wed, 16 Apr 2014 06:01:00 ESTIn pursuing its lofty international trade agenda, the Obama administration has been courting labor unions, long the strongest supporters of the president but also perhaps the strongest skeptics of expanded free trade.]]>Wed, 09 Apr 2014 16:35:00 ESTCongressional Republicans who support the administrations free-trade agenda are pleading for President Barack Obama to make the issue a top priority.]]>Wed, 09 Apr 2014 16:35:00 ESTAbbott Laboratories has a new chief federal lobbyist.]]>Wed, 09 Apr 2014 13:31:00 ESTWith Democrats and Republicans offering proposals to hit the financial sector with new taxes or fees, financial executives and lobbyists say they are re-evaluating how they will direct their political cash this election cycle and where they will seek allies on and off Capitol Hill.]]>Tue, 11 Mar 2014 17:32:00 ESTJust what will a Comcastic lobbying budget buy you? A growing coalition of consumer groups hopes not a new merger is the answer.]]>Wed, 05 Mar 2014 13:09:00 ESTFor three years in a row, the total amount of on-the-record federal lobbying cash has slumped. For three years in a row, Thorn Run Partners piece of that total has jumped.]]>Wed, 05 Feb 2014 13:27:00 ESTWhen ex-Federal Reserve chairman Ben S. Bernanke told reporters in December he planned to stay in Washington for a bit of time, he was giving credible forward guidance about his next career move.]]>Mon, 03 Feb 2014 13:20:00 ESTWhen most lobbyists exit a meeting on Capitol Hill, they leave behind a one-pager, or, if theyre really ambitious, maybe a 30-page report.]]>Mon, 13 Jan 2014 15:57:00 ESTThe latest employment report out of the Bureau of Labor Statistics provided a case study in the difficulty of using the headline numbers to assess the jobs market and peg fiscal and monetary policy to the numbers.]]>Fri, 10 Jan 2014 16:14:00 ESTThe debate on Capitol Hill over expired unemployment benefits is putting a spotlight on the still-rough labor market. The nations unemployment rate may be ticking closer to the Federal Reserves threshold of 6.5 percent, the point where the central bank will reassess its historically low interest rates. But even as the central bank has started to ease back ever so slightly on its economic stimulus program, economists from both sides of the political aisle say the jobs crisis sparked by the 2008 financial meltdown is far from over.]]>Fri, 10 Jan 2014 15:15:00 ESTNo one expects a boom in the lobbying business this year. But out of the dysfunction and stalemate of 2013, K Streeters see signs of potential work in select areas, including a revival for an old standby: appropriations.]]>Tue, 07 Jan 2014 13:17:00 ESTThe job market on K Street looks a lot like the rest of the countrys employment situation. Its tough.]]>Tue, 07 Jan 2014 15:21:00 ESTGary Lytle is the kind of lobbyist whose informal references include a bipartisan duo of former members of Congress.]]>Wed, 11 Dec 2013 15:05:00 ESTHide the silverware. Stow the dinner plates. And definitely keep that 100-year-old cognac corked.]]>Wed, 04 Dec 2013 16:54:00 ESTIf the lobbying world of K Street was as powerful as its public image, earmarks would be back in full force in Congress  or, maybe, they never would have gone away.]]>Fri, 15 Nov 2013 15:45:00 ESTThe number of clients looking for help navigating the appropriations process has taken a sharp decline. Last year, about 3,500 clients retained lobbyists for help in budget and appropriations matters, according to Lobbying Disclosure Act data compiled by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.]]>Fri, 15 Nov 2013 15:43:00 ESTConservative groups that led the charge during the October fiscal fights plan to sit out the high-profile confirmation debate over Janet L. Yellen to chair the Federal Reserve.]]>Wed, 13 Nov 2013 05:00:00 ESTIt might just be the ultimate insiders strategy: When pressing a clients cause, try to catch the ear of the two offices that Congress most cares about to spread your message.]]>Tue, 05 Nov 2013 11:50:00 ESTIf youre a Capitol Hill staffer eyeing a K Street gig  and lets face it, who isnt?  you might want to avoid Rep. Phil Gingreys advice when it comes to salary expectations.]]>Tue, 01 Oct 2013 12:51:00 ESTNo matter which side of the trade debate a group is on, it is almost certain to invoke a recent study on jobs to bolster its argument.]]>Wed, 25 Sep 2013 15:48:00 ESTWhile negotiators met at the office of the U.S. Trade Representative late last week in their latest bid to thrash out the many details in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a boisterous collection of union organizers and other activists made clear there is only one detail that matters to them: jobs.]]>Wed, 25 Sep 2013 15:46:00 ESTIf the failed candidacy of Larry H. Summers to head the Federal Reserve is any indication, the White Houses relationship with Senate Democrats needs a great deal of work at a crucial time for looming fiscal fights.]]>Tue, 17 Sep 2013 05:00:00 ESTLawrence H. Summers may not be a lobbyist, but he is generating plenty of business on K Street.]]>Tue, 10 Sep 2013 13:07:00 ESTChris Battle, a former Capitol Hill and administration aide who went on to a career in the private sector, died Thursday morning at age 45.]]>Thu, 08 Aug 2013 16:02:00 ESTThe legal case of Kevin Ring is compelling in itself.]]>Tue, 09 Jul 2013 13:02:00 ESTThe summer of a lobbyist might feature a jaunt to Marthas Vineyard, a weekend getaway to the posh Greenbrier resort in West Virginia and excursions for sipping pinot in Portland and fly-fishing in Jackson Hole, Wyo.]]>Tue, 04 Jun 2013 13:43:00 ESTA suspicious stock spike might boost legislation that seeks to bring a clandestine class of Wall Street representatives into the daylight.]]>Tue, 07 May 2013 13:46:00 ESTPresident Barack Obama said Wednesday that he would nominate Rep. Melvin Watt to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the regulator that oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but the initial response from some lawmakers and industry representatives suggests a sharp political fight over his confirmation.]]>Wed, 01 May 2013 18:08:00 ESTRepublicans on the Senate Banking Committee questioned Richard Cordray, the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, on Tuesday about the agencys data collection and offered other criticisms about the agencys structure. But the bigger story may be in who wasnt there for the hearing.]]>Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:01:00 ESTThe scene at the annual Bryce Harlow Foundation awards dinner is always a little otherworldly  by Washington standards. Its a place where lawmakers laud lobbyists and Republican politicians unabashedly fete Democrats.]]>Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:47:00 ESTWho says Obama insiders dont go to K Street?]]>Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:01:00 ESTThe AARP today released a poll with a message for Congress: Vote for the budget proposal known as chained CPI at your peril.]]>Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:45:00 ESTVeteran congressional aide Richard Hertling, most recently staff director and chief counsel for the House Judiciary Committee, is joining Covington & Burlings global public policy and government affairs practice.]]>Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:01:00 ESTEdward Newberry, a partner in Patton Boggs public policy and lobbying division, had an enviable book of business in 2011, based on his federal disclosure reports.]]>Mon, 01 Apr 2013 17:56:00 ESTTwenty-one CEOs of some of the countrys biggest companies had a message Monday for members of Congress. They want comprehensive tax reform, and thats no April Fools joke.]]>Mon, 01 Apr 2013 13:16:00 ESTThe Generic Pharmaceutical Association has filled a prescription for its top lobbyist: Melissa Schulman, a longtime lobbyist with the Bockorny Group and a former congressional aide to Democratic members, will serve as the groups senior vice president of government affairs.]]>Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:40:00 ESTThe Service Employees International Union on Tuesday announced a new round of cable TV advertising in support of a comprehensive immigration overhaul. The ads, worth $300,000, are set to begin Wednesday.]]>Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:13:00 ESTLawyers for Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., and one of her campaign consultants said on Monday that their clients had done nothing wrong, despite news reports that the congresswoman may be under investigation for campaign finance violations.]]>Mon, 25 Mar 2013 19:30:00 ESTActivists on both sides of the debate over same-sex marriage are saying I do this week to rallies and other demonstrations that coincide with oral arguments in two pivotal Supreme Court cases.]]>Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:45:00 ESTAs part of a lobbying campaign to persuade Congress to regulate the fees that merchants pay when customers use debit cards, the firm DCI Group scheduled hundreds of Hill meetings and generated more than 31,500 constituent calls to congressional offices.]]>Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:07:00 ESTThe city and county of Denver has a new lobbying firm on retainer: Greenberg Traurig.]]>Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:51:00 ESTNearly half of the lobbyists who were registered with Congress in 2011 and then went inactive in 2012 remained with the same employer, and many continued to influence public policy, according to a study released Wednesday.]]>Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:43:00 ESTAn unusual coalition of skin cancer groups, dermatologists and companies that make sunscreens is prodding Congress and the Food and Drug Administration to speed up approvals for new ingredients to block the suns rays.]]>Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:35:00 ESTThe C2 Group is off the market.]]>Tue, 19 Mar 2013 07:30:00 ESTFormer Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif., who lost her bid for an eighth full term in November, has joined FaegreBD Consulting as a senior vice president, the firm announced Tuesday.]]>Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:47:00 ESTFormer Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., is setting up shop at the lobbying and communications firm Mercury/Clark & Weinstock.]]>Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:37:00 ESTThe head of the Business Roundtable on Monday used a conference table festooned with miniature basketballs to launch the groups new campaign for an overhaul of the U.S. tax system.]]>Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:14:00 ESTIts not as if theyre setting up outside of Union Station with Will Work for Food signs, but the cadre of ex-members from the 112th Congress is finding a lukewarm hiring market downtown.]]>Sat, 16 Mar 2013 15:00:00 ESTFormer Rep. Howard L. Berman, the California Democrat who lost a bitter and costly congressional race in November to fellow incumbent Rep. Brad Sherman, is joining the law and lobbying firm Covington & Burling, the firm will announce Thursday.]]>Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:01:00 ESTThe Entertainment Software Association, the video game lobby, has added a new bipartisan duo to its roster: Ali Amirhooshmand and Danielle Rodman are joining the group as directors of federal government affairs.]]>Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:44:00 ESTThe think tank American Enterprise Institute announced Monday that former Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut is joining the group as a visiting fellow. Lieberman, who was a Democrat and then later an independent, will also co-chair AEIs American Internationalism Project with former Republican Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona.]]>Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:37:00 ESTThe video game lobby on Monday announced a new campaign that will include a series of public service announcements aimed at parents  the industrys latest response to the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., that some have linked to violent media.]]>Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:05:00 ESTThe Boston office of law and lobbying firm Nixon Peabody has nabbed former Sen. Scott P. Brown, R-Mass., as counsel.]]>Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:43:00 ESTThe opening credits of Netflixs inside-the-Beltway show House of Cards offer glimpses of iconic D.C. spots such as the Capitol, the FBIs J. Edgar Hoover Building and statues of soldiers on horses.]]>Sun, 10 Mar 2013 19:30:00 ESTThe Podesta Group this week launched a new company, Global Solutions. Arturo Sarukhan, a former Mexican ambassador to the United States, will serve as its chairman.]]>Thu, 07 Mar 2013 10:55:00 ESTIt didnt take long after the December elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn., for the debate to evolve into one pitting the First Amendment against the Second Amendment.]]>Sun, 03 Mar 2013 18:30:00 ESTThe business of lobbying thrives on face time and the subtleties of in-person contact. Lobbyists pay good money to get into a fundraiser for a quick chat with a lawmaker. And meetings in a congressional office, well, those are close to priceless.]]>Sat, 02 Mar 2013 10:00:00 ESTThe lobbying and law firm Patton Boggs, the citys biggest K Street practice, laid off 30 lawyers and 35 other employees including more than 20 people in Washington, D.C., according to multiple news reports Friday.]]>Fri, 01 Mar 2013 21:28:00 ESTFormer Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., announced Friday that he is setting up an Omaha consulting and government affairs shop called Heartland Strategy Group.]]>Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:09:00 ESTAt the height of D.C.s spring tourist season, visitors may very well witness something bizarre: A flock of activists dressed as $100 bills running from K Street to Capitol Hill.]]>Wed, 27 Feb 2013 14:44:00 ESTLobbying groups for the entertainment industry on Wednesday announced plans to roll out a campaign to showcase a ratings system and online tools that can help parents keep tabs on what kids watch.]]>Wed, 27 Feb 2013 11:14:00 ESTChris Hull, a former partner with DCI Group who has spent the past several years building a free grass-roots lobbying website called BlastRoots.com, is turning to his former K Street clients and colleagues as he attempts to turn a profit.]]>Tue, 26 Feb 2013 18:20:00 ESTKatherine Lugar, a top lobbyist at the Retail Industry Leaders Association, will take the helm of the American Hotel & Lodging Association starting April 17 and plans to step up the groups lobbying profile.]]>Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:14:00 ESTCongress and the White House, like most of K Street, may be consumed with the latest fiscal crisis. But even though a carbon tax seems like a policy relic from the past, the National Association of Manufacturers has decided to keep the heat on against the possibility.]]>Tue, 26 Feb 2013 18:18:00 ESTThe gun safety and gun control lobbying group Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence has brought on the well-connected Democratic firm Elmendorf Ryan, the organization announced.]]>Thu, 21 Feb 2013 15:24:00 ESTBusiness and labor dont agree on all that much, but representatives of the two sectors have joined to collaborate on the Partnership for Multiemployer Retirement Security. The partnership on Tuesday released a report, billed as offering private sector solutions, to help shore up ailing pension plans.]]>Tue, 19 Feb 2013 15:28:00 ESTIf a lobbying campaign is war, then opposition research is the equivalent of elite special forces.]]>Fri, 15 Feb 2013 17:58:00 ESTThe Campaign to Fix the Debt has added new names to the club of former lawmakers on its newly created Congressional Fiscal Leadership Council.]]>Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:25:00 ESTTwo longtime aides to ex-Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., opened their own lobbying shop this month.]]>Tue, 12 Feb 2013 11:33:00 ESTDebra Barrett, who has run the Washington office of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. since 2006, has taken over the drugmakers global government affairs portfolio. As part of her new role, the former Senate staffer will oversee a new division tasked with developing public policy for the company.]]>Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:42:00 ESTDefense industry insiders joined with advocates for public health, research universities and other sectors that rely on federal funds Monday to issue a combined call to stop the upcoming sequester cuts.]]>Mon, 11 Feb 2013 10:57:00 ESTSignaling new momentum in the defense industrys fight against automatic spending cuts, a broad coalition that includes university, military, public health and science groups will announce its plans to fend off the looming sequester.]]>Fri, 08 Feb 2013 17:35:00 ESTSen. Robert Menendezs chief of staff sent an email to some of his bosss closest supporters Wednesday that supplies talking points to combat news reports linking the New Jersey Democrat to a potential travel and ethics scandal. The missive offers an inside glimpse into the behind-the-scenes public relations campaign to bolster Menendezs fortunes.]]>Thu, 07 Feb 2013 12:48:00 ESTWashington lobbyists listen to the State of the Union address the way they read Beltway insider books. Like flipping straight to the index to find their names, they hang on the presidents remarks waiting for any mention of their clients causes.]]>Wed, 06 Feb 2013 18:18:00 ESTThe Aerospace Industries Association, which has waged a two-year campaign to fight automatic defense cuts imposed by Congress, plans to add staff to its lobbying and communications divisions and is ramping up its messaging with fewer than four weeks before the ax is set to fall.]]>Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:15:00 ESTK Street business has hit the skids.]]>Sun, 03 Feb 2013 18:30:00 ESTJohn Engler, president of the CEO lobby Business Roundtable, on Thursday offered his groups 2013 policy priorities, which he said could boost the economy. The roundtable will marshal its lobbying and communications resources to push its agenda, which includes a lower corporate tax rate, comprehensive immigration legislation and changes to entitlement programs, among other matters.]]>Thu, 31 Jan 2013 14:14:00 ESTMelanie Sloan, the head of a government watchdog group, said Thursday she believes federal investigators are probing Sen. Robert Menendezs involvement in an alleged travel and prostitution scandal, but predicted that the New Jersey Democrat would not be subjected to internal Senate discipline.]]>Thu, 31 Jan 2013 12:42:00 ESTThe House Small Business Committee wants to make it easier for little companies that may lack Washington savvy  and pricey lobbyists  to vent their opinions on federal regulations that will affect them.]]>Thu, 31 Jan 2013 05:00:00 ESTEdwina Rogers, the ex-wife of BGR lobbyist Ed Rogers, has filed a lawsuit against the couples former accountant, alleging breach of contract, professional negligence and infliction of emotional distress, according to recently filed court documents.]]>Thu, 31 Jan 2013 10:47:00 ESTIn the wake of an FBI raid on the office of a friend and political donor, Sen. Robert Menendez aggressively countered news reports Wednesday linking him to an alleged travel and prostitution scandal. And it is not yet clear whether the New Jersey Democrat is a target of any investigations by the Justice Department or the Senate Ethics Committee.]]>Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:57:00 ESTMcBee Strategic Consulting has added four new executive vice presidents to its team: Ted Anderson, a former Pentagon official; Bruce Holmes, a retired Navy SEAL; Chelsea Henderson, an ex-policy adviser to former Sen. John Warner, R-Va.; and Dawn Levy ODonnell, a former Democratic aide on the Senate Finance Committee.]]>Tue, 29 Jan 2013 12:17:00 ESTThe K Street-focused Bryce Harlow Foundation announced five new board members Monday: Paul Brathwaite, principal at the Podesta Group; Phil Brady, senior vice president of government affairs for Phillips 66; Peter Davidson, senior vice president for federal affairs at Verizon Communications Inc.; Craig Purser, president and CEO of the National Beer Wholesalers Association; and Angela Riemer, senior director of federal government relations at Pfizer Inc..]]>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:17:00 ESTIn a week that began with a bipartisan collection of senators unveiling a blueprint for a comprehensive bill and continues Tuesday with an address by President Barack Obama, advocates for a sweeping update of immigration laws say they will take advantage of elected officials posturing to press for an outcome this year.]]>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:47:00 ESTThe Obama administration may not be outwardly keen on lobbyists, but plenty of K Streeters showed up to fete the start of the presidents second term at the Ford Motor Co. inaugural gala on Monday.]]>Tue, 22 Jan 2013 18:16:00 ESTUpdated: Jan. 23, 8:40 a.m. | It may have been a do-little Congress, but lobbyists of all stripes made their presence felt on Capitol Hill this past year.]]>Tue, 22 Jan 2013 18:14:00 ESTFormer Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., is joining the public affairs firm Agenda, the outfit announced Tuesday. The firm is also bringing on Ed Schafer, a former secretary of Agriculture and North Dakota governor. Both will be senior advisers.]]>Tue, 22 Jan 2013 10:57:00 ESTWhen President Barack Obama took office, he immediately installed unprecedented revolving-door restrictions that banned federal lobbyists from serving in his administration without a waiver. And in his rhetoric, he made no secret of his disdain for the influence industry.]]>Sun, 20 Jan 2013 10:30:00 ESTArtemis Strategies has added Joe Harris Jr., counsel to retired Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, I-Conn., as a vice president. Harris will work with clients to advance their policy priorities before Congress and the executive branch as well as with governors, the firm said in a statement.]]>Fri, 18 Jan 2013 13:52:00 ESTThe influential seniors lobby AARP issued a warning Tuesday for members of Congress and Obama administration officials looking to narrow the deficit: Dont do it with cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.]]>Tue, 15 Jan 2013 13:09:00 ESTWhen the congressional agenda includes cuts to entitlements and defense programs, a fight over the debt ceiling and potential tax changes that could affect virtually every sector of the economy, you can bet on one thing: Lobbyists will be very busy this year.]]>Mon, 14 Jan 2013 18:10:00 ESTWhen former Rep. Steve Bartlett, R-Texas, stepped down last year from the Financial Services Roundtable, he said he wasnt retiring. He announced Monday that hes joining the crisis communications firm Levick as a strategic policy adviser.]]>Mon, 14 Jan 2013 13:21:00 ESTThe Fix the Debt campaign announced Thursday that 40 more corporate CEOs and business leaders had joined its cause. To some congressional denizens, that could translate into 40 more people with whom they are miffed.]]>Thu, 10 Jan 2013 16:41:00 ESTThe nations economy will rebound faster if Congress and the Obama administration avoid future fiscal crises and work instead to advance more robust energy, trade and regulatory policies, U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Donohue said Thursday.]]>Thu, 10 Jan 2013 12:39:00 ESTAllison Nyholm, most recently a policy adviser at the American Petroleum Institute, has joined the lobby shop TCH Group as a partner, the firm announced Wednesday.]]>Wed, 09 Jan 2013 16:29:00 ESTFrank Fahrenkopf, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association, announced Monday that he is stepping down June 30.]]>Mon, 07 Jan 2013 13:26:00 ESTEven before President Barack Obama officially nominated former Sen. Chuck Hagel to head the Pentagon, Jewish and pro-Israel lobbying organizations were staking out positions for and against the Nebraska Republican.]]>Mon, 07 Jan 2013 13:09:00 ESTFormer Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, has given Diane Strahan the role of chief operating officer, the group announced Friday.]]>Fri, 04 Jan 2013 15:06:00 ESTThe lobby group for the U.S. airline industry has added a former Federal Aviation Administration policy wonk: Dan Elwell is deplaning at Airlines for America as senior vice president of safety, security and operations. He will report to A4As chief, Nicholas Calio.]]>Fri, 04 Jan 2013 12:21:00 ESTThe all-Republican lobby shop Clark Lytle Geduldig & Cranford, which has grown dramatically in recent years, is adding a new partner to kick off the new year. Mike Nielsen, who spent 16 years working on banking and financial services issues as a Senate aide, is joining from the Bennett Group, the firm of former Sen. Robert F. Bennett, R-Utah.]]>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 00:01:00 ESTA week after the Connecticut school massacre, the National Rifle Association called on Congress to provide funding for armed police in all of the nations schools.]]>Fri, 21 Dec 2012 12:14:00 ESTThe emotionally charged legislative and policy debate over gun control is morphing into a fight between adherents of the First and Second amendments to the Constitution.]]>Thu, 20 Dec 2012 19:26:00 ESTMike Ference, director for strategic development and senior policy adviser to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, is leaving the Virginia Republicans office to join Shockey Scofield Solutions.]]>Thu, 20 Dec 2012 12:36:00 ESTJohn Pilecki, a retired teacher, boarded a bus in his hometown of Pittsburgh just before 5:30 Tuesday morning. He was headed for a rally at the Capitol  his first, he said, since the early 1970s, when he protested the Vietnam war.]]>Tue, 18 Dec 2012 19:10:00 ESTThirty years ago, a female tax lobbyist  a rarity in those days  infiltrated an informal Washington meeting of her male peers.]]>Sun, 16 Dec 2012 23:00:00 ESTAnyone whos lost hope that bipartisanship can thrive in Washington during the fiscal cliff standoff ought to look to K Street. And specifically Democrat Richard Gephardt and Republican Dennis Hastert.]]>Fri, 14 Dec 2012 18:38:00 ESTThe lobby shop Forbes-Tate, which tilts strongly Democratic, has recruited a floor aide from Speaker John A. Boehners leadership operation, instantly doubling the firms Republican headcount and deepening its bench in the House.]]>Tue, 11 Dec 2012 15:38:00 ESTThe lobbying surrounding the fiscal cliff has drawn corporate giants such as Caterpillar Inc. and small enterprises including sausage-maker Gliers Meats in Covington, Ky., to K Street in an effort to influence the outcome.]]>Tue, 11 Dec 2012 18:53:00 ESTThe president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers and one of the groups top lobbyists are slated to discuss the fiscal cliff and its ramifications for the manufacturing sector with White House officials Monday.]]>Mon, 10 Dec 2012 14:48:00 ESTWashington is filled with holiday-themed clichés this time of year, but the folks over at Story Partners opted for one from the music industry instead to announce the addition of new Senior Vice President Trudi Boyd.]]>Mon, 10 Dec 2012 13:41:00 ESTThe news that Rep. Jo Ann Emerson was taking a lobbying gig early next year broke the morning of Dec. 3. A few hours later, a one-page disclosure that the Missouri Republican was in job talks filed with the House Ethics Committee became public in the basement of the Cannon House Office Building.]]>Fri, 07 Dec 2012 19:31:00 ESTLongtime Sen. Richard G. Lugar, R-Ind., who lost a primary contest earlier this year, will expand his affiliation with the University of Indianapolis. He will rejoin the faculty after his term expires and help the university launch a high-level Washington internship, Lugar announced Friday.]]>Fri, 07 Dec 2012 12:47:00 ESTDrew Maloney, a longtime lobbyist who most recently worked on the would-be transition team of GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, has landed a top government affairs gig at the Hess Corp.]]>Wed, 05 Dec 2012 09:32:00 ESTIvan Adler made his way into a Hill office that was in a shambles: naked walls, Dumpster-style trash bins, piles of boxes, jeans-clad workers carting out the contents of what had recently been the stately domain of a sitting member of Congress.]]>Tue, 04 Dec 2012 19:34:00 ESTFreedomWorks is launching what it has dubbed the Black, White & Brown Tour in an unabashed effort to build support among blacks and Hispanics in preparation for the 2014 congressional elections.]]>Tue, 04 Dec 2012 19:13:00 ESTIf youve ever met Monte Ward, chances are hes tried to convince you of the merits of lobbying.]]>Sun, 02 Dec 2012 23:00:00 ESTShould you catch a whiff of caviar, gentle reader, you had better bolt for the exit. And beware of forks and chairs. If a member of Congress or Hill staffer cant eat it with a toothpick while standing up, theyd best go home.]]>Sat, 01 Dec 2012 13:00:00 ESTFormer Rep. Geoff Davis, R-Ky., is joining with veteran lobbyist Hunter Bates in forming Republic Consulting, a lobbying and consulting venture.]]>Wed, 28 Nov 2012 13:50:00 ESTThe Service Employees International Union, AFL-CIO and other labor groups dispatched more than 100 members and organizers to Capitol Hill Wednesday as part of a national lobby day.]]>Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:35:00 ESTEven as Congress is consumed with fiscal cliff negotiations, lobbyists and activists on all sides of the immigration debate are mobilizing their grass roots, staking out policy turf and gearing up for a huge push next year.]]>Tue, 27 Nov 2012 19:24:00 ESTCall it the K Street purge.]]>Mon, 26 Nov 2012 16:48:00 ESTPresident Barack Obama imposed tough restrictions on White House aides decamping for K Street, but one staffer from the Office of Presidential Personnel is becoming a headhunter for lobbyists.]]>Mon, 19 Nov 2012 15:03:00 ESTVennSquared Communications and its affiliated Venn Strategies are partnering with the London-based firm Luther Pendragon.]]>Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:14:00 ESTAARP, the group advocating for people ages 50 and up, released a survey Wednesday showing that most older Americans dont want lawmakers to alter the Social Security and Medicare programs during the lame-duck session.]]>Wed, 14 Nov 2012 12:17:00 ESTThe way lobbyists woo the incoming freshman class of lawmakers is a lot like dating. Theyre seeking out people with common interests. Theyre hoping to cultivate a long-term relationship. And theyre looking for that know-it-when-you-see-it spark.]]>Tue, 13 Nov 2012 19:50:00 ESTThe president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday said his group would press lawmakers over the next weeks to avoid the fiscal cliff and to buy themselves time for comprehensive tax and entitlement reforms.]]>Tue, 13 Nov 2012 13:05:00 ESTThe U.S. Chamber of Commerce may have backed losing candidates in the just-concluded election, but the 100-year-old big-business lobby has no plans to retreat when it comes to playing politics.]]>Tue, 13 Nov 2012 19:28:00 ESTK Streets calls for a legislative Band-Aid to carry clients past the fiscal cliff and into the next Congress became increasingly desperate Wednesday.]]>Wed, 07 Nov 2012 19:52:00 ESTDespite a pair of competitive House races in Colorado and a tossup Senate contest in Montana, voters in the mountain region stuck with their incumbents on Election Day.]]>Wed, 07 Nov 2012 19:20:00 ESTIf a revolving door between government and downtown actually existed, the line to get through it in the next few weeks would easily snake for miles.]]>Wed, 07 Nov 2012 19:31:00 ESTEmpty offices. Lobbyists scattered across the country volunteering on campaigns. This is K Street on Election Day.]]>Tue, 06 Nov 2012 17:02:00 ESTFrom yoga for voters to parties that will go until the counts come home, weve got a roundup of the hottest events and specials to take you from Election Day to night.]]>Mon, 05 Nov 2012 19:06:00 ESTMatthew LaRocco, most recently with Arnold & Porter and the son of former Rep. Larry LaRocco (D-Idaho), has joined Williams Mullen as a director of government affairs.]]>Mon, 05 Nov 2012 16:29:00 ESTThe contenders in two tight Colorado Congressional races that have attracted national attention and money have embarked on their final push before Election Day. And the homestretch in the Centennial State will bring the top of the ticket from both parties, with President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney scheduling events this weekend.]]>Fri, 02 Nov 2012 18:39:00 ESTJust about everybody, it seems, wants Mattye Pollard-Coles vote. President Barack Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney have circulated through her home state of Colorado multiple times, and her congressional district in suburban Denver is the scene of a tossup race attracting the attention and dollars of national groups.]]>Thu, 01 Nov 2012 17:33:00 ESTAFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said today he will head to Ohio for the final four days before the elections as part of the labor groups get-out-the-vote strategy on behalf of President Barack Obama and downballot Democrats nationwide.]]>Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:17:00 ESTIn an effort to rebuild after losing some of its top rainmakers earlier this year, Ogilvy Government Relations has inked a strategic alliance with the boutique tax lobby GDS Strategies.]]>Wed, 31 Oct 2012 19:16:00 ESTWhile official Washington remained closed today, lobbyists said they were already working with clients from big financial institutions to small East Coast towns in storm-ravaged areas to assess what they might ask of the federal government when it reopens Wednesday.]]>Tue, 30 Oct 2012 15:49:00 ESTDemocrats Maureen Walsh and Andy Rosenberg, both lobbyists in D.C., used their skills of professional persuasion Saturday to convince undecided voters to cast their ballots for Rep. Gerry Connolly and other Democrats on the ticket in the battleground state of Virginia.]]>Mon, 29 Oct 2012 00:31:00 ESTThe president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association called on the White House and Congress today to make good on President Barack Obamas statement in Mondays debate that automatic defense cuts will not happen.]]>Tue, 23 Oct 2012 16:31:00 ESTDuring the next two weeks, Republican and Democratic lobbyists will leave their comfortable offices, tap into their reserve of vacation days, put clients and family commitments on hold and head out to work on the campaigns of former bosses and other favorite politicians.]]>Mon, 22 Oct 2012 19:55:00 ESTHeather Wingate, the former head of federal government affairs at Citigroup, has joined MetLife Inc. She will lead the insurance firms federal government relations office in Washington, D.C.]]>Fri, 19 Oct 2012 15:16:00 ESTGOP nominee Mitt Romney has pledged to create 12 million jobs if elected president. Republican lobbyists have their eyes on just a handful of positions in the executive branch should he prevail.]]>Mon, 15 Oct 2012 19:29:00 ESTDespite growing warnings from GOP Senators, government contractors appear unconvinced that they must issue sequester-related layoff notices before the elections next month to comply with federal law.]]>Wed, 10 Oct 2012 19:39:00 ESTGephardt Government Affairs, the lobby shop of former Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.), has added Rob Epplin as a vice president. Epplin was legislative director for Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and spent 23 years in government service, including on the Senate Finance Committee and with the Office of Management and Budget.]]>Wed, 10 Oct 2012 14:58:00 ESTAfter Congress all but shut down last month so Members could campaign in their states and districts, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle reappeared in Washington, D.C., this week where they hit up lobbyists and political action committees for contributions.]]>Wed, 03 Oct 2012 19:27:00 ESTAlan Elias, a policy adviser to Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and a former aide to then-Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), has signed with the lobby firm Mercury/Clark & Weinstock as a vice president.]]>Wed, 03 Oct 2012 18:49:00 ESTCherae Bishop will become senior vice president for government relations at the American Red Cross on Oct. 15, the group announced today.]]>Tue, 02 Oct 2012 15:52:00 ESTThe National Retail Federation, which lobbies on behalf of companies such as Macy’s and Kohl’s, today predicted solid growth for the upcoming holiday season. But the trade group warned lawmakers that the “fiscal cliff” of looming tax increases and spending cuts could hurt consumer spending at a critical time for the industry.]]>Tue, 02 Oct 2012 14:44:00 ESTOne in every $8 spent lobbying Congress and federal agencies comes from foreign governments. If there's one fact that sticks with readers of "The Foreign Policy Auction," author Ben Freeman hopes it's that.]]>Mon, 01 Oct 2012 19:08:00 ESTThe United Steelworkers Union today endorsed Sal Pace, the Democrat who is running against Rep. Scott Tipton (R) in the states 3rd district. And Pace went up with a new ad, his campaigns third, that features a local steelworker.]]>Mon, 01 Oct 2012 18:15:00 ESTAfter losing several of its lobbyists in recent months, the WPP-owned shop Ogilvy Government Relations has added two Republican partners.]]>Thu, 27 Sep 2012 16:18:00 ESTBen & Jerry's co-founder Ben Cohen wants to clean up government, but he has fielded a lot of questions lately over whether he might be breaking the law in the process.]]>Wed, 26 Sep 2012 17:27:00 ESTWhen Members of Congress left town to campaign last week, they weren't alone. Lobbyists and advocacy groups followed the lawmakers home to ramp up their own messaging, lest Congress forget about them during the fall campaign season.]]>Wed, 26 Sep 2012 10:31:00 ESTThe Nickles Group today announced that Don Kent, chief of staff to Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), is joining the group as vice president on Oct. 1.]]>Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:38:00 ESTJohn Buscher, most recently a senior policy adviser at Holland & Knight, has signed on with the lobby shop Forbes-Tate.]]>Thu, 20 Sep 2012 15:09:00 ESTFormer Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, once a rumored contender to be GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's running mate, is taking over the top slot at the Financial Services Roundtable.]]>Thu, 20 Sep 2012 08:51:00 ESTIn a presidential election where the nation's 104 million female voters will be a much-wooed bloc, NARAL Pro-Choice America has narrowed its top targets to just more than 300,000 women in 25 swing counties.]]>Wed, 19 Sep 2012 19:50:00 ESTThe White House and Congressional Democrats are looking to scuttle Republican legislation to provide visas to high-skilled immigrants in what could prove to be the last bit of immigration politics on Capitol Hill before Election Day.]]>Tue, 18 Sep 2012 19:26:00 ESTLast week, John Scheibel listened carefully as a House Judiciary Committee aide and seven pint-sized lobbyists bantered about tax policy, the criminal justice system and a bill to boost public recreation centers.]]>Tue, 18 Sep 2012 18:41:00 ESTThe Grocery Manufacturers Association has added Michael Gruber as vice president of federal affairs. Gruber, who is a senior policy adviser on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, will start his new job Oct. 1.]]>Mon, 17 Sep 2012 14:14:00 ESTRepublican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) will speak at an AARP event on Sept. 21, and President Barack Obama will address the group via satellite, the seniors' lobby announced today.]]>Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:09:00 ESTThe Washington, D.C., headquarters of the embattled American Legislative Exchange Council is on the market.]]>Wed, 12 Sep 2012 19:21:00 ESTMembers of Congress, focused almost entirely on the November elections, might not have much on the legislative calender before then. But Cord Sterling certainly doesn't expect any downtime.]]>Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:01:00 ESTDemocratic fundraiser Mike Fraioli had attended every one of his party's political conventions since 1980. Until this year.]]>Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:11:00 ESTCongress may still be in recess, but the lobbyists at the Business Roundtable, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and five other groups are not waiting until next week to press their case for swift passage of a trade bill dealing with Russia.]]>Thu, 06 Sep 2012 13:55:00 ESTPresident Obama makes no secret of his disdain for Washington lobbyists. He prohibits them from donating to his campaign and bars them from joining his administration. Following suit, his party has outlawed K Street and corporate cash from supporting the Democratic convention.]]>Mon, 03 Sep 2012 15:04:00 ESTMany of the lobbyists attending the Republican National Convention won't make it to the arena where the event is taking place. They're too busy hosting receptions or charity golf tournaments or ferrying clients around the city in luxury.]]>Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:43:00 ESTThe potential for terrible weather may have put the kibosh on the first day of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., but it didn't put a damper on the offsite K Street scene. Even a "Birdies for the Brave" charity golf event to benefit wounded veterans, organized by Artemis Strategies lobbyist Ari Storch, went on today.]]>Mon, 27 Aug 2012 13:42:00 ESTIf Capitol Hill is the grown-up equivalent of high school, then the quadrennial party conventions are sleep-away camps for the political elite. For K Street, that means four days and four nights of partying with a purpose: mingling with corporate clients, members of Congress, Hill aides, campaign strategists and government officials.]]>Mon, 27 Aug 2012 12:56:00 ESTOn the cusp of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., Republicans are seeking to focus on the economy, but instead abortion, women's health issues and even the weather dominated the narrative.]]>Sun, 26 Aug 2012 12:41:00 ESTThe seniors lobby AARP today released its 2012 voters guide for presidential, Senate and House candidates. It focuses on politicians' positions on Social Security, Medicare and financial security in retirement.]]>Fri, 24 Aug 2012 10:36:00 EST